Events and Trends Coverage

Sometimes you are truly envious of people. I was having a conversation with someone the other day about how much of a shame it was that a friend of ours spends so much time trying to get a job as a barrister (lawyer) and ultimately 5 years down the road they will hate their job just like the vast majority of other people.

However, every now and again, you meet someone who truly does have it made.

My buddy Forest Woodward is just that person. Forest makes a living as a photographer for iStock. He recently traveled to South America to help shoot a documentary on surfing and attends music festivals all over the world.

The above video is a sample of his multimedia from his coverage of Coachella this past year. He gets an up-close-and-personal look at some of the biggest names in music and gets paid for it. In addition to having a ball, his photos are top-notch and he deserves every bit of it. So, today in a shameless plug of a friend, just wanted to share with y’all a look into the madness that is Forest’s life.

This has to be one of the coolest “gadgets” I’ve ever seen (came across it at Benjart’s blog). The chair modelled after an accordion uses recycled materials and features honeycomb technology to provide the strength to allow one to actually sit on it.

You can pick up your very own chair from Flexible Love for either £250 for the 8-seater version or £450 for the 16 person version. Well worth the money when you think about how easily it can be stored and the number of people it can accomodate… and the awesome tricks you can play with the thing (a la the above video).

The chair is made from cardboard so should NOT be left outside. The furniture is made of recycled wood and paper products and using pre-existing manufacturing processes so as not to have a huge impact on the environment. At present, the furniture is readily available for online purchase in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Taiwan though should be available by special request internationally (check the website and “buy” for more details).

This puppy get’s full marks from the Crockstar team… and given that we’ll be moving shop in the next few weeks we might be coppin’ as well.

As part of Bape’s newest collection (focussed on wrestling… which you gotta love!) they have introduced a new character to the Bathing Ape family. This man looks more super-hero than ape and it will be interesting to see how he is introduced to the collection. We’re not convinced by Apegon yet but we’ll see what sort of super powers he is capable before passing final judgement.

The topic for “professional wrestlers” and professional wrestling inspired t-shirts on the other hand is something we fully support. Here’s to hoping a Bape-o-Mania yellow and red tee is on it’s way!

The shirt will be released as part of the aptly named upcoming “Nigolden week” to celebrate the label’s 17th anniversary. The lead designer and founder of the brand Nigo will be on hand from May 1st-4th to offer a screen printing workshop and meet the adoring fans. The “Nigo’s workshop” event will take place at three different stores as part of the larger celebration for “Golden week” in Japan. Golden week celebrates “Emperor’s day” “Childrens Day” and the “Constitution Memorial Day” to celebrate the 1947 constitution of Japan.

Ultimately- the week can be looked at as a giant bank-holiday weekend and the Bape team will be pulling out all the stops in celebration.

We’ve yet to learn Japanese (slackers!) but hopefully if you are in Japan and thus likely to attend we hope you can read the below dates and location for the Nigo’s Workshop event.

Thanks to some love from up and coming menswear designer Chung Chung Lee, who along with his partner Hwan Sung Park founded the label A. Hallucination (which we raved about after attending the A. Hallucination Label Launch in February) Crockstar has the distinct pleasure of announcing the official collection lookbook. The Crockstar gang was quite fortunate to get an early look at the collection, and now we are happy to share the book with you all.

In addition to the coveted HQ images from the show, the lookbook really helps do justice to these incredible pieces and it looks as though the collection has come even further since the initial London show.

As mentioned in the event coverage, the line offers a unique take on the “modern English dandy” and combines immaculate tailoring (a la Saville Row) with the quilting of an English outdoor brand (such as Barobour) and combines them with edgier silhouettes to make the most of modern.

First off, apologies for not having posted anything in the last couple of weeks. It has been really busy and I have also been doing a bit of travel. As such, I thought I would at least share some of the highlights from my trip in images. Nothin really to make anyone jealous here- no photos of beaches or anything like that but just some high points and suggestions in case you find yourself in the area.

And fat-fingered people everywhere rejoiced!

Obviously, with the release of the iPad on April 3rd (in the States at least) I couldn’t resist a test drive. I had read a lot of hands-on reports and felt that this was the sort of thing that is best experienced first hand. I would strongly suggest that anyone remotely intrigued by this little gadget take one out for a spin. I have always been a bit hesitant about e-reading but I found that the e-reading capabilities and promise on this thing are huge. Given how many books I lugged back and forth on this trip alone I think it is well worth looking into an e-reader and since the iPad weighs in at $499 for the 16gb wireless version I cannot really see myself buying anything else.

In addition to the e-reader, improved visibility to the browser and fat-finger friendly keypad the gaming was pretty slick and I think will only get better. This thing could quite easily replace a kindle, an iPod, a PSP and a number of other products so the investment for me (after they work out any kinks) is inevitable. I would love to deny it, but the thing is great and all of my concerns went out the window once I had a play.

The potential for this thing (especially with graphic design) is pretty huge and if Adobe is smart the ability to draw on this thing like any of the Bamboo vector drawing pads could be a huge money maker if Adobe launches some light versions of Photoshop and Illustrator.

Don’t take my word for it though, next time you’re near an Apple store take the time to play with one and see for yourself. They should be available in the UK in the next few weeks though rumour has it that they will be more expensive.

21 Mercer St.

Any footwear lover must make the obligatory pilgrimage to their local havens when visiting a new city. 21 Mercer was a no brainer for this sneakerhead. Located on Mercer St. (shocker) right in SoHo and surrounded by a number of other streetwear and skateshops (APC, DC shoes, etc) this is a must see and serves as the flagship of Tier 1 Nike owned and operated specialty stores. This store served as the mold for the 1948 shop in Shoreditch and is a bit of an icon within the streetwear community.

That said, the experience wasn’t quite what I expected. The 1948 store is filled with knowledgeable sneakerheads who know ever release date and can probably tell you ever sneaker ever made by Nike. 21 Mercer was nice and had better decorations and lightin than the 1948 store but it just didn’t have the same vibe. It felt considerably more corporate and despite a seriously dope bleacher setup inside to display the dunks the stock and local feel just weren’t there.

The nail in the coffin? Don’t head to 21 Mercer if you’re looking for Jordans. Whilst the 1948 store is one of the few remaining tier 1 stores in London and (after some shenanigans at NikeTown during the Yeezy release) the only shop that get’s the super premium releases 21 Mercer directed me to NikeTown or House of Hoops to get my Jordan fix. I’m not saying I’ve got anything against either of these locales but come on! Whatever happened to a good old fashioned one-stop-shop?

Jordan Blue and White by Shepard Fairey

Well, as the image above may have told you, the highlight of the NBA store on 5th Avenue was definitely the artwork and the memorabila. Perhaps none more exciting than a signed print (edition of 50) by my favorite artist, signed by the greatest basketball player of all time from his glory days at my alma mater. In addition to this Shepard Fairey gem the NBA store was filled with tourists, basketball jerseys, signed balls, retros and just about everything a basketball might hope to find. Signed Jordan’s? Check. Signed Lebron posters? Check. Retro Bird jersey? cheeeeck!

The only negative thing i would say about the NBA store (aside from the fact that it is a zoo) is a general lack of options for the personalised jersey selection. Sure they had jersey’s from every team in the league but they seem to be missing out on the proverbial “long-tail” of the basketball market. No Magic Johnson retros? No Charles Barkley retros? No Ty Lawson jersey… bummer, and I was just about to spend some money!

What they lack in variety they certainly make up for in quality. They had both the Shep prints available signed and as much memorabilia as the hall of fame.

It’s a stuffed me!

Having been accused of looking like a meerkat on more than one occasion meant that taking this photo was a no-brainer. Equally, so was a trip to the Stuffed Animal Manor of New York (FAO Schwarz). Ever since watching the movie “Big” trips to FAO Schwarz have been an absolute must to satisfy the big kid in me. Whilst most everything stays the same at FAO Schwarz (big stuffed animals, fake Harry Potter Wands, etc.) some things get cooler and cooler. In addition to the normal selection of toys for big kids and little kids alone, FAO Schwarz has one-upped the “make your own” toy market in a big old way. Offering the opportunity to create your own “Muppet What Not” (basically an extra on the Muppets show), you can create your own character from hundreds of different options and watch your Henson-style puppet come to life. I know I’m not the first to notice this and have seen some pretty RAD muppets on the Wonder Web.

The “experience” will set you back about $100 but it beats the hell out of the same ol’ “handmade teddy bears” that every other kid (big or little) can get a hold of.

And the return home to foggy London town. After a great week it was time to head home. A bit frightening
when you realise just how close you are to the other flights coming back with you…

Well, if there was any doubt about Jeremy Scott’s fascination with cartoon characters (see the Jeremy Scott Flinstones post) and ability to make footwear that is really out there (please note his previous winged shoes for Adidas)… his most recent work for the Adidas project featuring “Originals by Originals” has further set Jeremy Scott’s fascination and originality apart when it comes to footwear.

These lovable little kicks should be available at finer Adidas stockists everywhere on April 1st (and no, this is not a joke) for a cool $180.

It’s hard to argue with something that is so far out there… these are the sort of kicks that, much like their winged predecessors, if you can pull them off– you’ve got to have them.

Really nice to see that A Bathing Ape (BAPE) is trying to grow along with its audience.

According to reports from Highsnobiety the brand is looking to grow its collection and appeal to the aging hipster audience. BAPE has teamed up with fellow Japanese label “United Arrows” for this collection that will take over the United Arrows store on March 25, 2010. The collection goes by the name Mr. Bape and a more distinguished Bathing Ape character (complete with a moustache) adorns the new promotional materials.

It is refreshing to see BAPE expand their horizons beyond £70 t-shirts, oversized hoodies and patent leather sneakers to include some grown-up apparel (suits, dress shirts, and real leather shoes).

Examples from the collection can be seen below. Clearly the mustache (moustache) shape is showing a clear influence in this collection. Check out the detail on the loafers for further proof. Below images courtesy of United Arrow.

Well, its seems that no one values our opinion here at Crockstar. After writing up a list of trends we hope go away forever, German “sunglasses brand” Mykita have teamed up with French designer Romain Kremer. Judging from his most recent collection Kremer is nothing if not eccentric (http://romainkremer.free.fr/RKSS10.html).

Not even skeletor could make these look cool… and we’re not talking about Lady Gaga in this case (High Snobiety)

Unfortunately it seems the craze started by Kanye West to create sunglasses that both serve little-to-no purpose blocking the sun and protecting the wearer’s eyes will live to see another incarnation. While many club goers will be sure to be wearing these hideous blinders at night (including Lady Gaga who is already guilty of such a sin) they can be presumed to have little value other than as an accessory. Well that, and we suppose, as a gladiator helmet to protect the wearer from the well deserved judging glares and items thrown their way.

All we can do now is sit and hope to God that these awful things do not get remade with British flags and sold in every market across Camden… and already we’re wondering if simply muttering such an idea will plant a seed in some fool’s mind.

Sigh, it seems only Nathan Barley could have predicted or made popular such an awful thing. Look out for these on the covering the tabloids and “trendsetter’s” faces in major cities everywhere.

The most recent Tron Legacy trailer has finally been released. We’re not entirely sure what we are more excited about… one of the greatest films of all time (disqualified from the special effects category at the Oscars because computer graphics were “cheating”)… or the entire soundtrack by Daft Punk.

This is another follow-up to the initial post now simply referred to as “we hate double denim” – a post so groundbreaking that it created a new economic theorem and gave birth to what we hope will become an official course offered at universities in the future: Fashionomics 101.

While writing up some of these lists we realized there was another phenomenon worth looking into. What about the trends that have been hot over the past few years that were total flops? Here’s our list (in order) of trends that really get under our skin and we hope will go away and never come back.

1. Kany West’s “Shutter Shades” -

Although the annoying nature of this particular trend really needs no explanation, it is worth highlighting how impractical these things are. They make you look like a tool, so please, go ahead and take them off.

When the lightbulb rose above Kanye’s head everyone hoped he had finally got the fishsticks joke… unfortunately he had an idea. (Damar)

2. Uggs -

Sorry ladies (and misguided gents), we really don’t care how comfortable they are… wearing these in Malibu doesn’t make any sense and theycost way too much to not make sense. Good riddance, go away all ready! It really is no coincidence that the words “fuggers” and “fugly” have evolved. Hmmm.

3. The Palestinian checked scarf -

We all have had enough now. It was fun while it lasted and even the likes of Colin Farell was known to rock one of these from time to time. Your time is up, please put out your torch and leave.

“How do you like my new scarf?”
“Wellll… it’s, uh, checked… so it’s got that going for it”

4. The “choreographed wedding entrance” -

Ok, so this isn’t EXACTLY a fashion trend, but it needs to go. We’ve all seen enough of these on YouTube. They can be good, but it’s played out now. Time to give it a rest. It started with the Love Actually trumpets thing and as soon as it moved to divorce videos it was one step too far.

Nothing says “I hate you and I want a Divorce” like a Chris Brown video/song/assault.

5. Counterfit bags, shoes, etc. -

We’re very much over the “status symbol” handbags. If you want something nice (and you can afford it) buy it for the quality, not for the label. There’s nothing ethical about the way these are made and if they really are “so similar to the original” the print, pattern or design on the bag or item should not matter… so just buy an equally priced no-name bag. The only counterfits worth having are ones that look like this…

OMG! Is that a real Mulberry bag? Their designs are soooo cutting edge! (UK Resistance)

That’ll cap off a week’s worth of sarcastic venting. We hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to share you favorites in the comments section below.

About Me

This is the new home of the Crockstar Limited blog. The blog focuses heavily on trends in fashion music and the internet. The goal is to start an ethically sourced fashion label, but in the meantime the blog will offer insight into the world of an ADD fashion-loving internet geek.